Treatments & Procedures - Surgical

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL)

Overview

Most kidney stones smaller than 5 mm can pass spontaneously. If the stone is too big to pass on its own, extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, which are high-energy sound waves, may be used to break up the kidney stone. Then these smaller pieces can more easily travel through the urinary tract and pass from the body.

This process takes about an hour. You may receive sedatives or local anesthesia. ESWL is usually an outpatient procedure—you go home after the treatment, rather than spending a night in the hospital.

It usually takes a few days or weeks for all the stone fragments to pass from your body. During this time, you may feel some mild pain.

Request an Appointment

At UWMC

Call (206) 598-4294.

For more information, go to the UWMC Urology Clinic Web page.

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